Question

Explain the following term:

Baton exchange zone

Answer 1

The baton exchange zone is the marked area on the track where one relay runner must hand the baton to the next; under standard rules the zone is 20 metres (about 21.87 yards) long and a baton pass made outside that zone results in team disqualification. The zones are usually marked on the lanes (often with triangles or painted lines) and the incoming or outgoing runner may be moving during the exchange, but the physical transfer must occur inside the zone while umpires watch each exchange.